My contribution for the 15th Annual Blogger's (Silent) Poetry Reading for St. Bridget's Day.

Oh, Had I a Golden Thread
Pete Seeger

Oh, had I a golden thread
And needle so fine
I've weave a magic strand
Of rainbow design
Of rainbow design.

In it I would weave the bravery
Of women giving birth,
And in it I would weave the innocence
Of children over all the earth,
Children of all earth.

In it I would weave the restlessness
Of men going ever forth
Through heat and blistering desert sands
And blizzards of the north
Through the frozen north.

Far over the waters
I'd reach my magic band
Through foreign cities,
To every single land,
To every land.

Show my brothers and my sisters
My rainbow design,
Bind up this sorry world
With hand and heart and mind,
Hand and heart and mind.

Far over the waters
I'd reach my magic band
To every human being
So they would understand,
So they'd understand.

Oh, had I a golden thread
And needle so fine
I've weave a magic strand
Of rainbow design
Of rainbow design.

My contribution for the 14th Annual Blogger's (Silent) Poetry Reading for St. Bridget's Day.




Aware
by Sue Brady

Always on the lookout
Hidden faces, watchful eyes
Past deep and rolling time

Holding silence but aware
Standing witness, standing guard
I see them everywhere

Hubris leads us ever on
Ours to take? …no, ours to lose
What we do will matter

Tiny beauty

Here is my Schoenorchis fragrans, blooming right on schedule. Last year, the first flowers opened on June 22.  This year, the first flowers opened on June 22.



It's so tiny and so very cute.

I got this at the 2017 Portland orchid show and this is its first rebloom for me.  Last year it came to me with three spikes, but only made one this year; this isn't too unusual, since it had to acclimate to an entirely new location.  It did grow a lovely leaf this year.

Air plant surprise

I had a surprise yesterday- my Tillandsia ionantha bromeliad is blooming!



I've been noticing it getting redder and redder this spring, which I knew they do before blooming, but never having bloomed an air plant before I was not expecting it to actually do its thing!

What a great surprise.  It must be happy in the corner of my east-facing kitchen window.

Rebutia heliosa

So pretty.  This is Rebutia heliosa, a cactus that originates in Bolivia.  This is repeat bloomer for me, right on schedule since I got it about this time last year.



The flowers are just so vibrant and bright.



There are still lots of buds forming, so this show should last a good long while.  It's so gratifying when a plant blooms again.

Trisetella hoeijeri

I have a repeat bloomer in my big orchid terrarium! 

This is Trisetella hoeijeri, a delightful little mini-miniature orchid. The leaves are about 1.5" tall, and the flower has a 3" spread. (This particular flower is facing the back of the terrarium, so I had to turn it for the pictures.) This is the second blooming for me since I got it a year ago.



The flowers are so cool looking, with their graceful sweep of whiskery sepals.



Even when it's not in bloom, it's a very tidy, pretty little plant.  It seems very happy in its hole in the log.



Compare that picture above to the next one, and you can see how much the plant has grown since October.  And look at the moss!  I will need to trim it back soon, it has really taken off!

Cactus extravaganza, with bonus succulents

Ready?  It’s getting to be cactus time.  Not many words needed.

Mammillaria bocasana roseiflora, second year in my care, second blooming.



Mammillaria zeilmanniana, second year in my care, second blooming.



Matucana aureiflora, second year in my care, second blooming.



Rebutia hoffmannii, second year in my care, second blooming.



Mammillaria backebergiana.  This was blooming when I got it in March 2016, and this is its second rebloom for me. It has grown another inch taller this year, as evidenced by the scarring about two inches down, where the horrible fake flower was glued on the top when I got it.




Mammillaria bombycina, another that I got in March 2016 and on its second reblooming for me.  This one also grows about an inch per year.  The fuzzier, whiter part on the top 2/3 of the plant grew while it was under my care.  I love this plant.



Mixed pot of Easter cacti, got it in bud a month ago and now it's blooming.




Rebutia pulchella, new last winter, first bloom for me.



Echinopsis subdenudata, new last winter, first bloom for me.






Echeveria derenbergii, first bloom in my care.



And lastly, Sedeveria 'Letizia', first bloom in my care.